volume is a good estimate if this is not

known. Most garbage cans hold 30 gallons

or more, so that filling three clean cans with
the solution is sufficient.
Note: When used as a biocide, chlorine is
most effective at a pH below 6. However,
chlorine products can raise the pH of the
water, especially in hard water, to a level
where the chlorine solution becomes
ineffective as a biocide (pH>8). To counteract
this effect, the pH may need to be adjusted
with a Department-approved acid product.
If pH must be controlled the Department
recommends you hire a licensed professional
to perform the shock chlorination.
2. Pour or pump the solution into the well
in one rapid, continuous flow, avoiding
electrical connections.
3. Open each faucet in your house, one at a
time, until you detect a chlorine smell and
then close them.
4. Attach a clean hose to a nearby faucet and
place the other end of the hose into the top
of the well. Open the faucet and recirculate
the chlorinated water for one hour washing
down the inside of the casing and the
pump piping.
5. Allow the chlorine solution to remain in the
well and plumbing system for at least 24
hours. Then flush the entire system until
you can no longer smell chlorine. Run the
chlorinated water outdoors, perhaps into
a ditch, because it can disrupt a septic
system and can kill grass and shrubs. Also,
do not run it into a lake or stream because
it can kill fish and other aquatic life.
6. The chlorination process may have to be
repeated. For some difficult infestations,
you should hire a licensed Well Driller or
Pump Installer to scrub the well with a
brush and agitate the chlorine and solution
within the well, and then bail or flush the
well following the chlorination process.
Also, the chlorine concentration can be
doubled but only if the pH is controlled.

Forcing hot water or steam into a well to

disperse the slime and kill the bacteria can
also be used. Contact your local contractor
for more information on these procedures.

Increasing water heater temperature

Rotten egg odor is more common from a hot
water tap than from a cold water tap because
the hydrogen sulfide gas remains dissolved in
cold water. As the temperature increases, the
gas is released as the hot water exits the tap.
Since SRBs are killed at temperatures above
140F, 60C, (which is the medium setting
on most home water heaters), you can
increase the water heaters temperature to
a setting of 160F or 71C for 8 hours and
then drain the tank to temporarily reduce
the odor problem. The water tank must have
a pressure relief valve or this treatment can
be dangerous. Also, remember to warn users
and reduce the setting afterwards to prevent
accidental scalding.
Water heaters usually contain a sacrificial
magnesium anode rod that helps protect the
tank by corroding more easily than the tank
lining. As it corrodes, the magnesium rod
gives off electrons that can nourish SRBs.
Removing this rod can reduce the bacteria
problem, but doing so can shorten the tank
life, especially when the water is softened.
Replacing a magnesium rod with a zinc rod
will not totally eliminate SRBs, but can greatly
reduce them.

Contact us
Customer Service Staff are here to assist
you 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Call Toll Free 1-888-WDNRINFo
(1-888-936-7463)

How may we help you?

Chat available from 7 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Call a representative 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Email your question.

Toll free
hotlines
Violation
Hotline:
1-888-936-7463
phone

Emergency
Spill Hotline:
1-800-943-0003
phone

Sulfur
Bacteria
Problems
in Wells

Bilingual Services are available

Community water systems

Other prevention and treatment methods for
sulfur bacteria are available to community
water systems. Stagnant water conditions can
be avoided by looping dead-end plumbing
lines and periodically flushing low-flow lines.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal

opportunity in its employment, programs, services and functions
under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions,
please write to: Equal Opportunity Office, Department of the
Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.
This publication is available in alternative format (large print,
Braille, audiotape, etc) upon request. Please call (608) 266-0821
for more information.
PRINTED ON
RECYCLED
PAPER

PUB-DG-005 2013

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Bureau of Drinking Water & Groundwater

Well owners sometimes complain that their

water has a rotten egg smell. This is usually
caused by the presence of hydrogen sulfide
gas. Although this gas can occur naturally in
bedrock formations in some areas, it can also be
produced by sulfur bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide
gas can be harmful to humans, but the amounts
produced by bacteria in wells is usually not a
health concern. However, the bacteria, and the
gas they produce, are obvious nuisances.
Sulfur bacteria can also cause more serious
problems than an unpleasant smell. Hydrogen
sulfide gas is highly corrosive and can damage
plumbing connections and metal piping,
including well casing. In addition, some sulfur
bacteria form deposits that can clog a well
screen and pump piping.
This brochure will explain common sulfur
bacteria problems and what you can do to
avoid or control them. You may also wish to
consult the DNR brochure on the more common
problem of iron bacteria, since the causes and
remedies for either infestation are similar.

What are sulfur bacteria?

Sulfur is a very common element in the
environment, and sulfur-reducing bacteria are
found in almost every geographical area. They
exist in soil and many geological formations,
and therefore occur naturally in some aquifers.
Sulfur bacteria can also be introduced into
groundwater by drilling equipment that is
contaminated with bacteria or by earthen
well drilling mud circulation pits.
There are two distinct forms of bacteria that
interact with sulfur compounds to cause
problems:

Sulfur- oxidizing bacteria

These bacteria live only in environments
containing oxygen. As part of their metabolic
activities, they convert sulfide into elemental
sulfur. They excrete a slime that can clog
wells, plumbing, and irrigation systems.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRBs)

Sulfate-reducing bacteria live where there
is little or no oxygen. They convert sulfur
compounds into hydrogen sulfide (among other
by-products) that produces a foul smell and can
corrode metal, concrete, and other materials.
SRBs are often found inside thick iron bacteria
slime where they form a complex ecological
relationship with the iron bacteria organisms.

Detecting sulfur bacteria

A rotten egg smell in a well can indicate
a problem with sulfate-reducing bacteria.
However, it can also indicate an iron bacteria
problem. Some people notice the smell
only after a period of non-use of their well.
Sometimes continuous use of the well may
keep the problem from getting too bad. If
the odor occurs only with the use of hot
water, SRBs may have colonized the water
heater. However the smell can also be
caused by the heaters sacrificial magnesium
anode. Sometimes an early sign of SRBs is a
blackening of the water by the sulfides.
The presence of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria may
be less apparent, since their effects are similar
to those of iron bacteria. In any case, slimes
in your well, plumbing, toilet tank, etc., are an
indication of a bacteria problem and should
not be ignored.
If you have reason to suspect a sulfur bacteria
problem, you may wish to treat your water
system, as described later, before having
a water sample tested by a laboratory.
Laboratory analysis can take 3 or 4 weeks
and is often not necessary. Collecting and
transporting water samples to be analyzed
for sulfur bacteria is more complex than for
iron bacteria. Homeowner help in finding a
laboratory near you is available at dnr.wi.gov,
Search: wells.

Preventing sulfur bacteria

As with iron bacteria, preventing sulfur bacteria
in well systems is the best safeguard against
subsequent problems.
For well drillers, prevention means
disinfecting everything that goes into
the ground with a chlorine solution.
It is essential that sulfur bacteria
are not introduced into any part of
the well system during the drilling
process. Drilling tools, casing, pumps,
piping, and even the water used in
drilling should be disinfected. The
use of chlorinated drilling water is
required by the State Well Code.
A portable drilling mud tank should
be used instead of digging an earthen
mud put to help avoid contamination
from soil. When the well is completed,
it must again be chlorinated.

Basement
12"
Conduit
Electric Cable
Check
Valve
in Well

Pressure
Tank
Sample
Faucet

Distribution
System

Pitless
Adapter Pipe must
be kept
under pressure
To Pump

If your well has chronic sulfur bacteria

problems, periodic chlorination may be the best
method to control the problem. Owners can
chlorinate a well annually as described in the
next section, except using a weaker solution
2 quarts of 5.25% chlorine bleach in 100 gallons
of water (or 1.25 qts. of 10% chlorine bleach).
Another possibility is to install a chlorination
unit. There are two types of these units: one is
installed on the well and uses chlorine pellets,
the other is attached to the water line and
uses liquid chlorine. Prior approval by DNR is
required for the pellet chlorinator. Well owners
considering them should contact their DNR
drinking water staff for further information.
For the name and contact information of DNR
staff for your county, go to dnr.wi.gov, Search:
Drinking Water Staff.

Treating sulfur bacteria problem

Shock chlorination
Sulfur-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacteria
can often be controlled by a thorough batch
shock chlorination. Doing one right away will

eliminate the delay and expense of having a

laboratory test confirm what a well owner
suspects. For effective treatment, make sure
a sufficient amount of chlorine and a proper
contact time is provided.
Warning - There is an electrical shock hazard
when working on a well. If you are not familiar
with plumbing and electrical circuits you may
want to hire a professional well driller or
pump installer to shock chlorinate your well.
The following steps are recommended for a
shock chlorination:
1. Prepare the chlorine solution.
Approximately 2 gallons of 5.25% (or 5 qts.
of 10%) chlorine bleach having no additives
should be mixed with 100 gallons of water.
Calcium hypochlorite products can also be
used for chlorination however it should not
be used in hard water conditions. It is best
to prepare a volume more than the volume
of water standing in the well. (For a 6-inch
diameter there is 1.5 gallons for each foot
of water standing in the well). A 100-gallon